Friction-clutch.



GUIDO FQRNACA, F TURIN;,,ITALY.

FfiiCTIGN-GLUECH.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known .t at l, Gnmo FonnAoA, .a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Turin, Italy, have invented .certain-new'and useful Improvements in Friction-Clutches, of which the-following is a full, vclear, and exact specification.

This invention relates ,to friotionclutches.

More particularly, this invention relates to friction clutches controlled by a flui .under pressure. 'Prcferably, the driven "shaft is' coupled to the driving sha-ft through a friction clutch comprising ,a clutch member secured .to the driven shaft andoarrying one or more disks, and a second clutchmembersecured to'the driving \shaft'and carrying also one or more disks so arranged With re- 7 speot to :the first named plurality of disks whereby the fluid .under pressure causes an engagement between the disks and thereby couplesthedriven shaft to the driving shaft. My arrangement also contemplates the disconnection of the driven shaft from the driving shaft means of a fluid. under pressure .to disengage the respective disks carried by the elutchniemhersyand thus ,uncouple the driven shaft.

Othe eatures of my invention will be more .fully understood from the following description, and-the .aceoin-panying-drawing which illustrates partly in elevation, but

largely in central vertical section, avfriction clutch constructed and operated in accord ance with my.invention.-

Referring to the f gure, .;the-.driving shaft 1 journaled in bearing 2 is-s'hown arranged in alinement with the driven shaft '3 journaled inbearing 4:, theiriction clutehjbeing' disposed proximate ,the adjacent ends of the said s a ts- .The friction clutch comprises disks 5 carriedby .thehub 6 wedged 011 the driving shaft but axially slidable on the keys 6 on hub' .6,.(excepting the ex-v treme .-right-hand .or outermost disk which is keyed ..to the ,hub '6 thedisks i7 ,a lally slidable E011 keys ,8. are'earfied by the hub 8 Wedgedon the driven shaft-.3, the disks .7

being disposed between the .diskski, .p f ably by 'anranging, ,tjhe disks ,5 ,andj-7 alterv nately. The extreme left ha-nd d sks .28,

' 37 overlap each other as shown, so as to iin the same planai ut'thcv in sheet -con-- stitute an actuating piston or forelng all of ,the disks against thestatfionary abutment M disk 5 rigidly keyed to the. shaft '6 at the ex- Specification of Letters Patent.

figure. The pump 13, shown as of the rotary type, forces the Water or other'incomvalve member 18 i'srnoved suflicientlysto the vleft the valve opening 20 will register with Application filed October 17, 1912,. Serial in. 726,234;

ther an outer .part 11 of relatively much larger diameter em racing he id p i 9 o f;hu b'6 and extending to a desired point beyond the end oi the driven shaft 3 and about the end ortion of driving shaft 1 referably, th d sks and 7 are ci ar and extend a eomgilete circumference however, ;the shape o the same may be varied according to circumstances, as Will be readily understood.

The clutchasa Whole is inclosed afluid tight casing or cover 1.2- y th employment of suit ble "fluid conductin means a fluid nder pr sure i so pp d to c se the disks 5 and i? to be brought into mutual frictional engagement, whereby the driven 1 shaft 3 is connected "to the driving shaft ing the disks carried by the driven shaft out of contact with the disks carried by the iving haftand co t ol ing the fluid is illustrated the .One method of supplying pressib' c fluid from h rescrvo.ir:1 .t g

the pipe {15 into the controlling valve 16.

. Thevalvelfi comprises a fixed outer .cylin-' di'ical casing l3"inc1. ing s ide valve m mber .18 having valve opening and .20

adapted to register respectively .vvith ,the 0pen5ings21 a d. 22 o rpipes 23 .and'2 ,-whe the valve memb '18-i n ed y-t e eontroil rod 23110 th pr p positions- The position of the valve member '18 shown is the extreme right-hand position of the same,

nd which con i ion t e clu h mem e will be llocked, thereby. connecting the driven sh f 3 i h the d iv ng Sh t W e th theoperting 2210f nip 2 a, he upon t e clutc membe s will be ,uncoupled, and h r ving shaftwiil n 'nlly-- For h p rpose of securing balanced-conditions for the several positions of the valve member 18,

the same is perforated t 26 When the control rod 5 is moved to cause the valve member 18 to assume the-position indicated in the drawing, the water or other fluid will pass through pipe 23 into the ring passage 28 formed about the periphery of the driven shaft 3 within the bearing 4, and bounded on the outside by the bearing ring 29 the fluid will then traverse the transverse passage 30 disposed in the driven shaft 3, then flow through longitudinal passage 31 and transverse passages 32, also disposed in the driven shaft 3, thence into the diverging passages 33 in the hubj8, and finally 'into the annular compartment 34: of the clutch, the pressure of the fluid causing the disks 5 and 7 to move axially toward the right into frictional contact with one another, and causing the clutch members to be coupled, the fluid during such action flowing out of the annular compartment 34 through openings 35 in the outer part 11 of hub 8 into the casing 12, and flowing by the return pipe 36 back into the reservoir 14, to be again pumped along the path just described. The total area of the openings 35 must be so related as to produce the desired static pressure on the disks of the clutch to effect the desired degree of engagement.

It is desirable that the pump 13 exert a substantially constant pressure throughout the operation of the clutch,.and for this purpose I have secured beneficial results by means of the springpressed valve 37 disposed in the by-pass between the inflow and outflow ports of the pump. The pump 13 is driven by any suitable means, and may be geared to the driving shaft 1, or otherwise actuated by the engine or other prime mover. In order to release the clutch the valve member 1 8 is moved to the left, bringing the valve opening 20 in register with the opening 22, whereby the water or other fluid will flow through pipe 24, into the ring passage 40 formed about the periphery of the driving shaft 1 within the bearing 2, and bounded on the outside by the .bearing ring 41; the fluid will then flow through the transverse passage 42, disposed/in the driving shaft '1, thence through longitudinal passage 43 and transverse passages 44, also disposed the driving shaft 1, thence into the annular compartment 45 at the periphery of the hubv 6, thence between each disk 5 and adjacent disk ,7, thence through open- "ings 46 in the outer part 11 of hub 8, thence 4 into the casingl2, andfinallythrough return pipe 36 and into the reservoir 14, to be again circulatedby the pump 13 about the course jujstdescribed. It will be noted that when the clutch members are uncoupled by mov ng the disks to the left, the frictional in terference between the relatively movable to secure the necessary static pressure excited by the fluid to effect disengagement of the disks ofthe respective sets carried by the clutch members.

It will be seen from the above that the control valve may be disposed at any desired point with respect to the clutch proper, or

the fluid reservoir, or the pump. It will be understood that proper precautions for se curing fluid tight joints between the parts will be taken, my construction readily admitting of substantially fluid tight connections. By my arrangement, practically instantaneous coupling or uncoupling of the clutch members is secured upon manipulating the control valve to the proper position.

It will be also seen that the wearing parts are simply arranged, and permit of ready replacement.

Although I have illustrated my invention in merely one form thereof, it will be clear that many changes and modifications may be made in the specific arrangement shown without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clutch comprising in combination a plurality of clutch members, a set of movable elements carried by one of said clutch members, a second set of movable elements carried by another of said clutch members, and means for applying a fluid under pressure to cause said sets of movable elements to come in frictional engagement to clutch said clutch members and for separating the mov able elements of said sets from one another to unclutch said clutch members.

2. A clutch comprising in combination a clutch member, a set of disks carried there by, a second clutch member, a set of disks carried thereby, certain of the disks of said first set being disposed between and contiguous to certain of the disks of said second set, and means for applying a fluid under pressure and under circulation to cause the disks of said sets to come into engagement to close said clutch members and for causing the fluid to flow between the contiguous disks of said sets to separate the same to unclutch said clutch members.

3. A clutch comprising in combination a I first set and adapted to come in frictional.

contact therewith, and means for'spplying a fluid under pressure and under circulation 1 to cause the disks of said sets to come in fr1ctional contact toclutch said clutch members and to cause the fluid to circulate be- License tween the disks of said sets to maintain said clutch members in unclutched position.

4. The combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft and journals therefor, of a clutch member secured to said driving shaft, a set of axially movable elements carried by said clutch member, a second clutch member secured to said driven shaft, a plurality of axially movable elements carried by said second clutch member, certain of said second set of axially movable elements being interposed between certain of said first set of axially movable elements and adapted when moved to be brought in frictional contact with one another, and means for applying a fluid under pressure and under circulation to cause axial movement of said movable elements to bring the same in frictional contact to clutch said clutch members and to cause the fluid to flow between and separate the contiguous movable elements to unclutch said clutch members.

5. fhe combination with a plurality of cooperating clutch members and sets of friction disks carried thereby, of means for applying a fluid under ressure and under circulation to bring said movable elements in frictional contact to clutch said clutch members and to cause the fluid to circulate between contiguous disks to maintain said clutch members in unclutched position, said means comprising a pump for impressing a certain ressure on the fluid and means for controlling said impressed pressure.

6. The combination with a plurality of cooperating clutch members and sets of friction disks carried thereby, of means for applying a fluid under pressure and under circulation to. bring said movable elements in frictional contact to clutch said clutch members and to cause the fluid to circulate between contiguous disks to maintain said clutch members in unclutched position, said means comprising a pump for impressing a certain pressure on the fluid and means for controlling said impressed pressure, said last named means including a valve provided with a movable valve element having means for maintaining said valve element in balanced condition.

' 7. The combination of a drivin shaft, a driven shaft, bearings for said s afts, cooperating clutch members andfriction elements, and means for applying a fluidunder pressure-and circulation to cause said friction elements to frictionally engage one another to couple said clutch members and to cause fluid to flow between and separate said friction elements to uncouple said clutch members, said last named means including passages extending parallel to the axes of the driving and driven shafts and a fluid passage passing through at least one of said beari gs. 8. A friction clutch comprising in combination a clutch member, a plurality of disks carried thereby, a second clutch memwith a plurality of clutch members and one or more disks carried by each of said clutch members, said disks being mounted to move toward each other into physical contact, of means for applying a fluid to move said movable elements in either one or two directions of movement, said means comprising a pump and a system of fluid-conveying means through which the fluid is circulated by said 10. A multiple disk clutch comprising a driving member carrying a plurality of slidable disks, a driven member carrying cooperating disks alternating with said driving disks, an abutment carried by one member for limiting the movement of said disks in clutching said shafts, an opposite movable piston for moving said disks, :1

fluid pressure connection to said piston, a fluid pressure passage for admitting fluid pressure between said disks, a valve movable to control one or the other of said passages, a source of fluid pressure connected to said valve, and a fluid pressure retaining casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUIDO FORNACA. Witnesses:

JOGELYN GONBEYRON,

- Tmg'o MENOTTO. 

